Explainer – five scams to watch in 2025

How the scam works

Remote access scams remain among the top scams NAB customers report and often start with a phone call impersonating a well-known bank, telco, tech company or government department. They often deliberately target older Australians.

An emerging trend is criminals calling business customers impersonating NAB and spinning a story that there's a new chat bot or version of NAB Connect, or an issue that they can help you fix.

The criminals then direct people to download an app or software, giving them remote access to your computer so they can access your online banking or other personal information.

Mr Sheehan said criminals could steal significant amounts of money in minutes via remote access.

"We anticipate criminals will continue to target Australian consumers and businesses with remote access scams in 2025. Losses often run into tens of thousands of dollars, compared to other scams where the criminals might net $500 or $1,000," he said.

How to protect yourself

• Never give an unexpected person remote access to your computer or online bank accounts.
• Never share any SMS codes your bank has sent.
• If you aren't sure if contact is legitimate, hang up or delete the text message or email. Contact the organisation using details you have found yourself.
• Update computer software and apps regularly.